Help wanted: for Irvine's worst intersections

Friends and loved ones of Irvine teenager Ashton Sweet held a candlelight vigil in 2012 to remember her on the anniversary of the crash that caused her death at the corner of Culver Drive and Irvine Boulevard. Ashton died when a suspected drunk driver with a previous DUI conviction drove his pickup truck into the sedan she was in. KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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As a growing population swells the streets of Irvine, the city will have to search for ways to alleviate the pressure, while drivers dig deep for patience on the road.

Between city traffic data and residents' anecdotes, it's a tough task rounding up a list of the worst intersections in Irvine, so we're providing both.

The title of the most dangerous intersection of 2012 goes to Culver Drive and Irvine Boulevard, which saw 14 collisions, according to city data. Culver Drive overall saw more accidents in 2012 than any other street in Irvine.

Since Culver Drive is a main thoroughfare, it's tempting to blame the accident stats on a high volume of traffic. But the numbers don't necessarily show a direct correlation.

More cars flood Jamboree Road on a daily basis than Culver Drive, and the intersection of Culver Drive and Irvine Boulevard actually has one of the lowest average daily traffic flows of the worst intersections of 2012.

But more importantly, perhaps, the data doesn't show where Irvine drivers are frustrated. Read on for residents' gripes with stretches of road and tricky turns.

WHICH IS THE WORST INTERSECTION IN IRVINE?

We asked you, the residents of Irvine, for the worst intersections and stretches of road in the city. Here's what your neighbors emailed in about problem spots that didn't make the Police Department's list:

Toni Reger, 22-year resident

Sand Canyon Boulevard and the I-5 Freeway: Too many lights close together equals confusion. Construction causes lanes to curve. For those not paying attention, it equals lots of fast lane-changing. Three left-hand turn lanes too close together: one for the Great Park, one for the freeway, one for the restaurant and gas station. Hopefully this will be better when the construction is done next year.

Jamboree Road and Michelson Drive: Too many cars either getting off the freeway or on here. Separate lanes for the freeway onramps add to confusion and leads to a lot of illegal lane changes. Long traffic lights means lots of cars backed up.

Walnut and Yale avenues: A fire station on the corner, Irvine High School and a park make this a bad intersection. When the Fire Department leaves the station, they change the light for their truck; this makes traffic back up often. The left turn lane is too short, and traffic backs up onto the regular lane. Students speed to school, and seniors heading to the park make this a bad situation.

Marilyn Costar, 16-year resident

Walnut Avenue and the Mall: Most dangerous with potentially the most accidents is the stop sign (that people run).

The most annoying street is Harvard Avenue. None of the lights are synced, especially at peak hours! Also, the light changes to red the SECOND a car from one of the neighboring streets pulls up to their light.

Nancy Berzon, of Mission Viejo, worked in Irvine for two years

Trying to turn right on red at Irvine Center Boulevard from exiting the 405 North to get into the left lane to turn left onto Pacifica is an accident waiting to happen. It is very dangerous, and drivers do not slow down even though there is a signal light at the corner.

Judy Settle, 37-year resident

Walnut Avenue turning from either direction into the Willows tract of homes onto a street also named Walnut (service street). In 2012, the city of Irvine added concrete dividers on Walnut Avenue and proceeded to landscape them. Some of the bushes they planted were too high and restricted clear vision when entering the tract or leaving. Some of the plants have been replaced with lower-growing varieties.

It would be better if a stop light was installed, as there have been numerous accidents there in the 37 years that I have lived here. Also, there is a need for a pedestrian crossing there to the swimming pool, Heritage Park and Irvine High School activities. Overflow cars have to park in our tract to attend functions at these facilities, and people often jaywalk across Walnut to the events. A stoplight would provide a safe pedestrian crossing.

In the Willows tract, on Countrywood, there is a need for a speed bump at the intersection of Robinwood Circle and Countrywood Lane. Recently, a young boy was struck by a car speeding down Countrywood. This is the third child that I know of to be struck by a car at this same intersection. (One girl was killed.) Cars do not observe the 25-mile-per-hour speed limit but open it up as it is a straight stretch down Countrywood.

On the corner of Walnut (service) Street and Countrywood, it needs to be marked as a no-parking zone. Cars park right on the curve, which restricts the space for the traffic. The street is already narrow. Recently, a car was struck on the front left corner of the bumper because it just stuck out too far into the street, even though it was parked properly.

My other concern for traffic in Irvine is at the intersection of West Yale Loop and Stone Creek South. It is an intersection that is busy with school children. Because West Yale Loop is curved, the lines for the lanes at the intersection do not allow for the cars to the right of the turning lane to see the intersection properly. When a car occupies the left turn lane on West Yale Loop, there is no way for a driver in a car in the number one lane to see if a child is in the crosswalk or a car is coming on Stone Creek. A solution to the problem would be to repaint the lines so that the left-turn lane is held back even with the number one lane. Or, a stoplight may eliminate this problem.

Brian Gilbert, 13-year resident

The most needed improvement is to make University Drive three lanes in both directions from the 405 all the way to Jamboree Road.

Also, nearly every intersection in the city has right-turn pullout areas. Awesome. However, many drivers slow without using them, thereby impeding the flow on our streets with nice high speed limits. And many stop at signals and ignorantly block right turners. Some education of our "diverse" driving community is in order.

Ken Dunn, 17-year area resident

First, most areas in Irvine are poor as it relates to traffic. Red lights are long. The city would benefit from timing the lights, even if it means reducing speed limits. It's silly to drive 50 miles per hour only to stop at a red light a quarter mile away. Plus, the long reds bunch all the cars together, making lane changes next to impossible once traffic starts moving again.

In addition, the city should permit left turns (versus only a red arrow) onto many of its smaller streets, including from streets such as Alton Parkway and Culver Drive onto streets such as Paseo Westpark and Harvard Avenue. There's no reason to stop traffic coming the opposite way so one car can make a turn.

I know I am not alone in saying that I typically don't go out to patronize certain business in Irvine that may be closer to my home when I can instead get on the freeway, drive farther and still make it in less time to one of their competitors.

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